willbish

Where's the MVHR ducting going? I thought that would require the false ceiling. Then you've got the voids for the cables. What's your plan for wall finish on the precast concrete? A service cavity could be easier than chasing.

I'm not familiar with the Kore system, are the boards interlocking? There's potential for a bit of seepage with gaps and a wet pump mix. A thin DPM would prevent this but it's extra time and cost especially if you start getting the internal corners cut and taped nicely. I'd question the usefulness of filing and emptying the UFH pipes, particularly if you haven't got a mains water connection. That sounds like hassle. There's always a chance if you pump out prior to pouring, potentially damage could happen between then and pour day. It's a risk but very minimal. I'd trust the pipe, you are buying from a reputable company, it won't be full of holes!

I took a different approach 1a Certainly easier if you csn staple to the EPS. I cable tied to the top of the mesh. Are you putting a thin layer of DPC to stop any concrete seepage between the EPS joins? 1b No I don't think it matters at all. Over time, the slab will be heated to a uniform temp regardless of the position of the pipes. I imagine some vertical variation in slab temp will occur when cooling down. It could be advantageous to have the pipes lower down, Im not sure. 2 I capped the ends 3 I didn't test prior to pour. Pex-Al-Pex is surprisingly rigid. I think the only conceivable way of a puncture is sabotage. I was concerned with having people walk on the pipe during concrete placement, but it didn't flatten them. If you do decide to pressure up the pipes, are you going to have someone watching the gauge during concrete placement? What are you going to do if mid-pour you notice the pressure has dropped? 4 Leave them empty, forget about them 5 6 If cable tying, no need to snip the ends off as well. Just rotate the tie as you are pulling tight and have the excess pointing down. Cable tying is certainly time consuming but it definitely works.

That would be a neat and quick solution @nod has just proposed. In my amateur way I would have cut timber noggins in between the ceiling joists. Yes, yes and yes. Spacer clip SC1

? Consider it done

A couple of pictures

I've been on a metal stud learning curve the last week. So far so good, only the single one inch laceration to my finger to mention. But it sure flies up quick once you get used to it I chose a mixture of wall make up. Between bedrooms and corridors I've used 72mm track with 60mm I studs staggered. For cupboard, wardrobes and areas where sound transmission is not so critical I went for 52mm track with 50mm C studs. 9mm ply then PB The British Gypsum white book is really useful for selecting the components, then when purchasing switched to Tradeline brand as significantly cheaper. Chatting with a plasterer today and he's saying I really should be using noggins, even though White book says not necessary. I mentioned that Im using 15mm soundbloc board and he said even more reason to nog, anyone know why this might be? So that got me thinking about chucking some in there just to be sure. But with the staggered studs this is not going to be possible. Is the flat plate really going to make much difference? I cant see how thin plate (0.3mm thick i think) is going to make any difference. All my boards are vertical, just under 2.4m ceilings, perhaps that makes a difference.

@NickK Walls will be rendered, in a TS06 from the Fassa range https://www.fassabortolo.it/it/365-a-year-of-colors?line=Tuscany

@NickK Apologies if I want clear. I haven't installed the mock sash but the sliding sash.

Have you listened to this House Planning Help podcast? https://podcasts.google.com/?feed=aHR0cDovL2hvdXNlcGxhbm5pbmdoZWxwcG9kY2FzdC5saWJzeW4uY29tL3Jzcw&ep=14&episode=YWY4YzFjZTYtNTkwYi00N2E3LWFiNTctNWRhMThjYTg5MDVi I listened to it a while back and I think it says over 50% of all new builds in Austria are fitted with Loxone. Not sure of the quantity of new builds per annum in Austria (doubt they have a 300k target) but it shows how much of standard this type of system has become in Europe.

Just had a browse through the McAlpine catalogue and confirmed what I was thinking, its crap. Anyone want a brand new boxed slot drain?! Yeh it'll look sort of modern, any wetroom is going to look modern-ish, but no worries my Mrs will find some rustic junk to chuck in there!

I got given one of these shower slot drains recently, thankfully not as a christmas present, to use on my ground floor wet room. Looking at it more closely, Im wondering if I should also just pass it on to someone else... I was intending to set it into a screed with falls. The 15mm lip around the edge will take a tile and adhesive, but how is any water supposed to reach the drain that gets behind the floor tiles? Its a similar point that @Russell griffiths made a while back, is there any point tanking the floor if the water that gets past the tiles can't find its way to the drain?

Hi Nick, This year i've installed Green Building Store timber sash windows on my new build, which I think look loads better than a lot of the 'mock' sash windows on the market. They score a class 3 on air tightness (out of max 4), this is with both top and bottom sash openers. I specified many of my windows as fixed, non opening and some with only one sash sliding. I am hoping that, having installed them correctly, I will still be able to achieve a very good air tightness score.

Yep that's now 360mm of thermal... inertia. When the time comes, heating it up is going to take an age, much like @Petes recent warm up.

Good question Just did a rough calculation which came out at £25/m, labour only. Seems too cheap!

Finished.... Didn't make the Christmas deadline or do it without some help so I can't take all the credit. It wasn't the cuts that got me but the grouting. I nearly walked off my own site vowing never to return during that job!

Building control were very accommodating when I requested putting my soakaway less than 2.5m from the boundary. Always worth an ask

I will ask the question to a supplier about lumens but after further reading / consideration I dont think its possible to expect a comparable amount of light between a fibre and an led downlight. Also, if it was that easy I'm sure retailers would be selling it as an alternative to downlights. Would be nice though, having one light 'engine' per room and running fibre strands to every light fitting.

Floating on my back recently I found myself staring at the ceiling of the local hotel pool. There must've been a hundred small led downlights about 30/40mm diameter. Im guessing they weren't all mini LED's but perhaps fibre optics. Something like this Anyone tried this? Im thinking a few rows of 10 across bathroom ceiling

Yep that's right https://youtu.be/EbwdEtwnTCs

It's strangely mild weather in Bristol last couple of days. My unheated shell of a building is colder inside than out with condensate on all the exposed steels. Get some warmth into the place if you can

https://mdfosb.com/en/products/medite-exterior

I machined my barge boards out of 3 layers of 12mm exterior grade MDF Worked well but there wasn't hundreds of metres to do

Thanks again all I think this point is important. I have no intention of legal action against the Church. Keeping positive neighbourly relations is a priority for me Perhaps the way forward is a polite letter to the Church explaining my perspective. I am of course thankful that I've managed to prevent a large bill for a whole new system. A reasonable solution might be to keep 2/3 the costs i've incurred as credit for future maintenance liabilities.

Yes I can see it from that perspective. However the critical point here is the first 'opinion' has been found to be so inaccurate and unprofessional that disciplinary procedures against the Engineer have been applied by the Institute of Structural Engineers. The second opinion wasn't really voluntary, to be used as a comparison with the first, it was a necessity brought about the inaccuracies caused by the Engineer.